New Begining
by 4everGale
Summary: An ending where only Katniss and Gale Exist


**Hunger Games is own by Suzanna Collins**

I go to our meeting place every day. I sit there waiting for something, waiting for someone, waiting for him. I miss him and not being able to see him on a daily basics hurts me more than I thought it would. It didn't take me long to realize that I was being unfair by blaming him for the death of my sister. He had no way of knowing that she was going to be in the battle zone. Many people lost their lives and I know her death hurt him as much as it did me. He loved her like a sister and he would have given his life for her. Of that I'm sure.

I close my eyes and count to ten hoping that he would materialize and sit next to me the way he always has. I do this a couple of times and every time I open my eyes I find the spot next to me empty. But one day I open my eyes to find him there sitting next to me. My heart stops for a minute but I don't say anything. Neither does he.

"I've been waiting for you" I break the silence after what it seems an eternity.

"I've been waiting for you too"

"How long have you been in the district?"

"Two days"

He has been here two days and he hasn't come to see me? "Why didn't you come to see me?"

"I didn't know you wanted to see me"

Of course he thinks I don't want to see him. The last time I saw him I blamed him for my sister's death. He probably thinks I hate him but yet he is here. He came back looking for me. My best friend, the one that has been with me through it all. The one who has never giving up on me. The one who loves me more than what I deserve.

"I found out your mom went to district 4, I thought you might need a friend"

"Thank you, I do need a friend. I need you" He gives me a look wanting to ask more, wanting me to clarify these words but I'm afraid to continue.

"Do you want to go hunting?" he asks instead

"I don't have my bow? I answer very disappointed because the fact is that I couldn't hunt without my hunting partner and so I come to the woods just to wait for him. "Where have you been staying these two days?" I ask him because I know his home is gone and nobody has mention seeing him.

"The house by the lake. Do you want to go?"

My lips curb into a real smile because at this moment nothing would make me happier than going to the lake. I have been thinking about going but didn't have the strength to go by myself.

We walk towards the lake mostly in silence. I try to make small conversation by asking him little questions about his job in two. It's so strange to have the two of us in the woods and act so unnatural. In the woods we were one, always knowing the other one next move without even speaking. Now, we are two broken friends. Two friends who have gone through so much, have seen so much pain, and now we don't know how to act around each other. By the time we make it to the lake house we are both exhausted by the awkwardness of our situation. Gale is the one who brakes the silence

"Katniss, I'm sorry" he says as I turn around to witness the pain in his eyes.

"I'm sorry too" I answer as I wrap my arms around him. "I know her death hurt you as much as it hurt me because you love her like a sister. I don't blame you Gale, I understand now that there was nothing you could have done. If there would have been something I know you would have done it. It wasn't your fault"

I feel his body relax and he wraps me inside his strong arms. He is also crying and all I want to do is stop every tear that is coming out. I search his lips for a kiss but he turns and walks away from me.

"You don't have to do that anymore Katniss. I know you are just trying to make my pain go away. I know you don't love me and any kisses that you give are only going to cause me more pain. It's ok though, I'm fine with being just your friend"

"Gale, what if I want your kisses to take _my_ pain away? Gale I know I have been unfair to you for many years but I know now that it's you the one I love"

"What about Peeta?"

"Peeta and I came to the conclusion that we are better as friends"

It's true, after Peeta came back we tried to grow back together but quickly realized it was too much pain between us. There were times where he still thought I was a Mutt and my presence was just making his recovery to slow down. I knew the one I love was Gale but I was just trying to hold on to someone because I hated the thought of spending the rest of my life alone. Peeta realize that too and understood. Plus, I truly believe the hijacking really made him forget his love for me.

I know exactly what Gale is thinking the moment I finish my words.

"Gale, you are not my second choice. You have always been the one but I have been too stubborn, too scare to admit it. Every night since I came back I wake up crying to the thought that I would never see you again, that I would spend the rest of my life without you. I came to the woods every day to wait for you. I love you Gale, you have to believe me"

I don't know if it is my words that he believes or the tears refusing to stop that makes Gale walk over me and put my face between his hands as he gives me the kiss that I been longing for so long. I wrap my arms around him, pull him closer to me and deepen the kiss. This is a kiss like no other. A kiss that makes me forget who I am, where I am and the earth beneath my feet shake. The moment we stop he says "I love you" to which I respond "I know" making both of us laugh, clearly remembering the first time we said those same words before I was sent back to the arena. We move into the house where we give each other all those kisses we have been craving for years but were not allow to.

The day was almost over when I finally got the courage to ask a question I have been dreading.

"Do you have to go back to Two"

"I got two weeks off work, besides I don't have a house here. But I promise I'll be back and build us a house"

"Gale you can live with me, and I'm sure you can get a job here if you really want to"

"Katniss, I can't live in that house knowing what it represent"

I know what it represent. It symbolize me going into the arena to fight for my life, me killing other kids in order to survive. It's a reminder that I was almost force into marriage to a man that I had to pretend to love. But right now it's the only place we got and I don't want Gale to go. I stay quiet for a while thinking of a way to make Gale stay. Gale notices my distress and as he puts his arms around me he says "maybe we can rebuild this house and live here"

My eyes quickly light up at the at idea and quickly respond "let's do it"

"Really, you will be willing to live her with me" his smile can't hide how please he is with my response.

"Of course Gale, but do we need to ask permission or can we just fix it without telling anyone?

"I can call President Paylor and ask her?

"Do it, I have a phone in my house"

The walk to the house is so fast and we make it there in no time, Gale tells President Paylor our plans and she doesn't seem to have any objections. In fact, she tells Gale she will be sending construction materials to rebuild the lake house along with the material to rebuild other houses in the district. That is the benefit of being the Mockingjay and a war Hero, there isn't much that can be deny to us.

Our house is done in a month and Gale and I move in. His family comes back to the district and move into my old house. Haymitch hires Hazelle back and Peeta tries to teach her how to bake. Gale gets a job in the medicinal factory that was built in the district. Gale and I spend our time together hunting, fishing and swimming. We are able to discover new places in the woods because we go a little dipper each time. I discover a new side of Gale. A kinder, softer, gentler side he didn't allow himself to show before. I first met this side of him on a night few weeks before we moved into our lake house. That night, my hunger for his kisses was so overpowering and I knew this would have eventually happened. He still is that fierce hunter and protector man that I fell in love with so many years ago. And time only reassures me that this is what I needed to survive. After so many years of being the protector, I needed someone to protect me and Gale is happy to be my guardian. Those nights were I can't escape my nightmares, his arms are always there to bring me back to reality. He wakes me out of my hallucinations with a soft voice telling me that I'm his and he is mine. His voice, his scent of the woods and his kisses are the only thing that can assure me that I'm safe because he reminds me of happier times. It reminds me of the girl and the boy who met in the woods so many years ago, only to have them fall for each other. And that is how I know that Gale is mine and I am his, the rest is just unthinkable.


End file.
